9 Ways To Stop Someone From Snoring

Snoring - it’s the nighttime symphony that not many sleepers want to conduct or listen to. Whether you’re the snorer or the bed partner, finding ways to silence the snore can lead to better rest for everyone involved. In this blog, we discuss how to tackle snoring head-on with practical tips and insights.

Let’s dive in!

How To Stop Someone From Snoring

Here are nine key ways to help stop someone from snoring

1. Change Sleeping Positions

Sleeping on the back often causes the tongue and soft tissues to fall to the back of the throat, leading to a vibrating sound during sleep. Here are some strategies to encourage side sleeping:

• Tennis Ball Technique: Sew a pocket onto the back of a pajama top and insert a tennis ball. This makes sleeping on the back uncomfortable, encouraging the person to turn onto their side.
• Adjustable Bed: Raising the head of the bed by a few inches can prevent the tongue from blocking the throat and reduce snoring.
• Body Pillow: A full-length body pillow can help maintain a side-sleeping position. It helps to get a long body pillow that you can hug as you sleep. Our Cuddler is a great one to try because its 75-inch body is perfect for most sleepers and its satisfyingly-squashy MelofoamTM ensures that it molds to your body shape. 

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excess weight, especially around the neck, can increase the likelihood of snoring. Here are some tips for weight management

• Balanced Diet: Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Limit sugars, saturated fats, and refined carbohydrates.
• Regular Exercise: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. Activities such as walking, cycling, and swimming can be beneficial.
• Hydration: Drinking plenty of water helps maintain a healthy weight and reduce snoring caused by dehydration and mucus buildup. 

3. Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives

Alcohol and sedatives relax the muscles in the throat, increasing the likelihood of snoring. Here’s how to manage their intake:

• Limit Consumption: Avoid alcohol and sedatives at least 3-4 hours before bedtime.
• Alternative Relaxation Methods: Try relaxation techniques such as reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing deep breathing exercises to unwind before bed. 

4. Treat Nasal Congestion

Nasal congestion can make breathing difficult and lead to snoring. Here are ways to alleviate congestion:

• Nasal Strips or Dilators: These can help open nasal passages and improve airflow.
• Humidifiers: Adding moisture to the air can prevent dry nasal passages and reduce snoring.
• Saline Sprays: Saline nasal sprays can clear nasal passages and reduce congestion.
• Allergy Treatments: Managing allergies with antihistamines or other medications can also reduce nasal congestion. 

5. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Ensuring a good night’s sleep can reduce snoring. Here are some tips:

• Regular Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Comfortable Sleep Environment: Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Use comfortable bedding and pillows.
• Limit Screen Time: Avoid screens at least an hour before bed to reduce blue light exposure, which can interfere with sleep. 

6. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can cause the secretions in your nose and soft palate to become stickier, leading to more snoring. Tips for staying hydrated:

• Drink Water Throughout the Day: Aim for at least 8 glasses of water daily.
• Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol: Both can dehydrate the body, so limit intake, especially before bed. 

7. Use Oral Appliances

Medically-approved oral appliances can help keep the airway open, especially if the snoring is caused by sleep apnea. Here are some options:

• Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs): These devices reposition the lower jaw and tongue to keep the airway open.
• Tongue Retaining Devices (TRDs): These devices hold the tongue in a forward position to prevent airway obstruction. 

8. Perform Throat Exercises

Strengthening the muscles in the throat by doing regular targeted exercises can reduce snoring. Here are some exercises to try:

• Tongue Exercises: Push the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and slide it backward. Repeat for a few minutes daily.
• Vowel Sounds: Sing the vowel sounds (a-e-i-o-u) loudly and clearly several times a day.
• Jaw Exercises: Move your jaw to the right and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the left side. 

9. Consider Medical Treatments

If lifestyle changes do not help, medical treatments might be necessary. Here are some options:

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): A CPAP machine delivers air pressure through a mask to keep airways open during sleep.
• Surgery: In some cases, surgery might be required to remove or tighten tissues, correct structural issues, or improve airflow.
• Radiofrequency Tissue Ablation (RFTA): This minimally invasive procedure uses radiofrequency energy to shrink the tissues in the soft palate and tongue. 

Each sleeper’s snoring is unique, and what works for one person might not work for another. It’s often helpful to try multiple strategies to find the most effective solution.

In the next section, let’s look more closely at what could potentially be behind the snoring.

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the mouth and nose is partially obstructed during sleep, causing the tissues in the throat to vibrate. Here are numerous factors that can contribute to snoring:

1. Anatomical Factors: An example of this is a deviated septum, which is a misalignment of the wall between the nostrils can restrict airflow and lead to snoring. Others include nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a long uvula or soft palate, thick or floppy tissues, a small jaw or receding chin. When these factors are coupled together with nasal congestion, it can become difficult to breath and cause snoring.

2. Lifestyle Factors: Consuming alcohol, sedatives and muscle relaxants relaxes the muscles in the throat, increasing the likelihood of snoring. Smoking irritates the lining of the nasal cavity and throat, causing swelling and increased mucus production, which can lead to snoring. Consuming heavy meals or dairy products close to bedtime can also increase mucus production and cause snoring.

3. Sleep Position: Like briefly discussed above, back sleeping allows the tongue and soft tissues to fall to the back of the throat, causing airway obstruction and snoring. Also, using an overly high pillow can kink the neck and obstruct airflow, leading to snoring.

4. Sleep Disorders: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), for instance, is a serious sleep disorder where the airway repeatedly becomes blocked during sleep, leading to pauses in breathing and loud snoring. Not getting enough sleep due to similar sleep disorders can lead to throat muscle relaxation, increasing the likelihood of snoring.

5. Age and Gender: As people age, the throat muscles can become weaker and the throat narrower, leading to snoring. Men are more likely to snore than women due to differences in throat anatomy and hormonal influences.

6. Weight: Being overweight, particularly with fat around the neck, can put pressure on the airway and cause snoring. This is true for central obesity, as well, where fat deposits around the chest.

7. Nasal and Sinus Issues: Allergies can cause nasal congestion and swelling, obstructing airflow and leading to snoring. Upper respiratory infections like a cold, sinusitis, or flu can cause congestion and inflammation, leading to snoring.

8. Genetics: Family history can play a role in anatomical features and predispositions that increase the likelihood of snoring.

9. Environmental Factors: Dry air can irritate the throat and nasal membranes, causing swelling and leading to snoring. Environmental allergens, such as dust, pet dander, and pollen, can cause nasal congestion and snoring.

10. Hormonal Changes: This includes the changes that happen during menopause, leading to weight gain and changes in muscle tone, increasing the likelihood of snoring.

11. Mouth Breathing: Breathing through the mouth rather than the nose can cause the throat tissues to dry out and vibrate, leading to snoring.

12. Poor Muscle Tone: When this happens in the throat and tongue, it can cause these organs to collapse back into the airway during sleep, leading to snoring.

Addressing the underlying causes of snoring often requires a multifaceted approach, including lifestyle changes, medical treatments, and, in some cases, surgical interventions

Next, we share tips on what you can do when sharing a bed with a sleeper who snores.

When You Can't Sleep Because Of Snoring Sounds

Dealing with someone's snoring when you're trying to sleep can be challenging. Here are several strategies you can try to help manage the situation and improve your sleep:

Immediate Actions:

1. Change Their Sleeping Position: Gently nudge or encourage them to roll onto their side. This can often reduce snoring as it prevents the tongue and soft tissues from collapsing backward.

2. Use Earplugs or White Noise: Earplugs can help reduce the noise of snoring. Alternatively, using a white noise machine or a fan can create a constant ambient sound that masks the snoring

3. Adjust Their Pillow or Head Position: Sometimes elevating the snorer's head with a bolster pillow can help open up airways and reduce snoring.

4. Try Gentle Waking Techniques: If the snoring is particularly disruptive, gently wake the person to prompt them to adjust their position or take measures to reduce snoring.

Long-term Solutions:

1. Address the Underlying Cause: Encourage the snorer to seek medical advice to determine if there are underlying issues such as sleep apnea, allergies, or anatomical factors contributing to their snoring. Treating these conditions can often reduce snoring significantly.

2. Encourage Lifestyle Changes: Suggest that the snorer maintain a healthy weight, avoid alcohol before bed, quit smoking, and manage allergies effectively to reduce snoring over time.

3. Consider Separate Sleeping Arrangements Temporarily: If the snoring persists and becomes a chronic issue, consider sleeping in separate rooms temporarily to ensure both parties get adequate rest.

4. Use Anti-snoring Devices or Appliances: There are various devices available, such as nasal strips, oral appliances (like mandibular advancement devices), and CPAP machines (for sleep apnea), which can help reduce snoring.

5. Seek Professional Help: If snoring is severe and affecting both parties' sleep quality, consulting with a sleep specialist or an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor can provide tailored solutions and interventions.

When communicating your concerns, approach the topic of snoring sensitively, focusing on finding solutions together rather than placing blame. Managing snoring can be a collaborative effort, and finding the right combination of strategies often requires patience and persistence.

In the next section, we turn to some tell-tale signs indicating that it’s time to speak to a doctor.

When To See A Doctor

Here are specific situations when seeking medical advice for snoring is recommended:

1. Loud and Persistent Snoring: If your snoring is loud enough to disturb others or if it occurs every night.

2. Daytime Sleepiness and Fatigue: If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, or difficulty concentrating, which could indicate a potential sleep disorder like sleep apnea.

3. Witnessed Pauses in Breathing: If someone observes that you stop breathing or gasp for air during sleep, it could be a sign of sleep apnea.

4. Choking or Gasping During Sleep: Sudden awakenings with choking or gasping sensations can be signs of obstructive sleep apnea.

5. High Blood Pressure: Snoring, especially when accompanied by other risk factors like obesity, can contribute to high blood pressure.

6. Frequent Morning Headaches: This could be a sign of sleep apnea or other sleep disorders affecting your oxygen levels during sleep.

7. Restless Sleep: If you frequently wake up feeling unrested or if your sleep is fragmented due to snoring.

8. Excessive Sweating at Night: Night sweats not attributable to room temperature or bedding can be a sign of sleep apnea.

9. Obesity or Large Neck Circumference: Being overweight or having a large neck circumference can increase the risk of snoring and sleep apnea.

10. Other Medical Conditions: If you have existing medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, snoring could exacerbate these conditions.

If you or your sleeping partner notice any of these signs or symptoms, consult with a healthcare professional, such as a primary care physician or a sleep specialist. They can help diagnose any underlying sleep disorders, recommend appropriate treatments, and improve both your sleep quality and overall health.

Conclusion

Sharing a bed with someone who snores requires patience and persistence in seeking appropriate solutions. By implementing the tips we discuss in this blog, you can significantly improve your sleep quality as well as that of your bed partner.